Automatic coiling hair curler



June 114, 1966 M. STURDIVANT AUTOMATIC COILING HAIR CURLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 16, 1962 m N E V m MATTH EW STURDIVANT ATTORNEY.

June 14, 1966 M. STURDIVANT AUTOMATIC COILING HAIR CURLER Filed Oct. 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MATTHEW STUR DIVANT ATTOR/VE United States Patent 3,255,765 AUTOMATIC COILING HAIR CURLER Matthew Sturdivant, Philadelphia, Pa., assiguor of onehalf to Jules H. Helms, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Oct. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 230,854 3 Claims. (Cl. 132-38) This invention relates to improvements in hair curlers, and more particularly concerns a hair curler which is quickly and easily attached to a lock of hair and which automatically curls into a roll position to impart a curl to the lock of hair.

Conventional hair curlers require that a lock of hair be grasped by the fingers, wrapped around a cylindrical member, held and attached thereto. This is a difficult and time-consuming operation, especially for a lock of hair which is at the back of the head and cannot be seen in a mirror.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome the problems of the conventional hair curler, and to provide a new and improved hair curler which clamps to the base of a lock of hair and which automatically rolls the lock of hair into a curl, an operation substantially quicker than conventional methods.

Other objects andadvantages of the invention, including its simplicity and economy, will further become apparent hereinafter and in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of a hair I curler constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in section taken as illustrated by the lines and arrows 2-2 which appear in FIG.- 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale, and partly broken away, and shows the pocket member of the invention in unrolled condition;

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the pocket member shown in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5-8 are views in perspective which illustrate the steps of the method of curling a lock of hair;

FIG. 9 is a view in section taken as indicated by the lines and arrows 9--9 which appear in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a view in section taken as indicated by the lines and arrows Ill-10 which appear in FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 shows the invention being used to impart a rearward curl; and

FIG. 12 shows the invention being used to impart a forward curl.

Although specific terms are used in the following description for clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to the structure shown in the drawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention.

Turning now to the specific embodiment of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings, there is shown a hair curler which includes a pocket member 11 that forms a roll in its normal position as shown in FIG. 1, clamping means including a pair of clamping lips 12 and 13 mounted at the entrance to pocket member 11 and adapted to grasp and :hold the base of a lock of hair, and an extractor 14 having hook means including hook 15 at one end, the extractor 14 being adapted to be pulled through pocket member 11 as illustrated in FIGS. 5-7.

Pocket member 11 includes an outer member 16 which is preferably made of a clear plastic material that curls around itself to form a roll in normal position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8. An inner liner 17, also preferably made of a clear plastic, is joined to the side edges of outer member 16, as by heat sealing, to form sealed edges 18 which extend to exit end 21 of pocket member 11, but do not extend all the way to the entrance 22 thereof. Outer member 16 and inner liner 17 are provided with perforations 23 so as to admit air into pocket member 11 to aid in drying the lock of hair curled therein.

Clamping lips 12, 13 are mounted at the entrance 22 of pocket member 11 and are spring urged to normally closed-lip position as shown in FIG. 1. When lips 12 and 13 are open, they are adapted to snap together to grasp and hold the base of a lock of hair. Clamping lips 12 and 13 are preferably made of plastic, although they may be made of aluminum or other materials, and a re inforcement 24 is attached to inner liner 17 so as to properly support clamping lip 12. Reinforcement 24 may be made of the same spring material as outer member 16.

Extractor 14 is provided at one end with extractor hook 15, and is beveled at the other end 25 (FIG. 2) for easier insertion into pocket member 11. Extractor 14 is longer than pocket member 11 so that beveled end 25 may be grasped at exit end 21 of pocket member 11 and pulled to pull the hook 15 and a lock of hair into pocket member 11 (FIG. 6).

In operation, extractor 14 is inserted into pocket member 11 by pushing beveled end 25 through entrance 22 to part the clamping lips 12 and 13. Extractor 14 is then pushed farther through pocket member 11, thereby unrolling the pocket member as shown in FIG. 5 until beveled end 25 of extractor 14 emerges from exit end 21 of pocket member 11 as shown in FIG. 6. Thereupon, the ends of clamping lips 12 and 13 are held near the persons head between the index finger and thumb of one hand, and beveled end 25 of extractor 14 is grasped by the other hand. Then it is an easy matter to catch a lock of hair in hook 15 and pull it into pocket member 11 by pulling rearwardly on extractor 14, as illustrated in FIG. 7. It is to be noted-that as soon as hook 15 passes through clamping lips 12 and 13, they snap closed over the base of the lock of hair and remain in that position as the remaining portion of the lock of hair is pulled into position along pocket member 11. Extractor member 14 is pulled free of pocket member 11 and, when hook 15 emerges from 'exit end 21 of pocket member 11, the pocket member curls into its normal roll position (as shown in FIG. 8) to impart a curl to the lock of hair.

The hair curler of the present invention may be used to curl the hair on any part of the head, even portions of the head which are relatively inaccessible or obscured from view. It may also be used to curl the hair in any direction, as is shown, for example, in FIGS. 11 and 12 where FIG. 11 shows a rearward curl and FIG. 12 shows a forward curl.

Pocket member 11 may easily be removed from the hair after it has performed its curling function by unrolling pocket member 11 with the fingers and pulling it off the lock of hair. Pocket member 11 is completely reusable.

Outer member 16 and inner liner 17 are preferably made of a clear plastic so that the lock of hair may be seen in pocket member 11, but they may be made in opaque colors if found desirable from the standpoint of presenting an attractive and colorful appearance. Edges 18 of pocket member 11 are preferably heat sealed together, but they may be connected in any manner, including by sewing them together.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a presently preferred embodiment. Various changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of parts. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts may be reversed,

and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A hair curler comprising an outer member made of perforated clear plastic which curls around itself to form a roll in normal position, an inner liner made of perforated clear plastic and joined to the side edges of the outer member to form a pocket member, a pair of clamping lips mounted at the entrance to the pocket member and being spring urged to normally closed-lip position and when open being adapted to snap together to grasp and hold the base of a lock of hair, and an elongated extractor which is longer than said pocket member and has a hook at one end, whereby the extractor is inserted into the pocket member so that its hook extends therefrom to hook a lock of hair and pull it into said pocket member so that said clamping lips grasp the base of the lock of hair, said extractor pulls said lock of hair through the pocket member to position it therealong, and said extractor is pulled free of the pocket member whereupon the pocket member automatically curls into its normal roll position to impart a curl to the lock of hair.

2. An automatic hair curler comprising an outer member having side edges, an inner member joined to the side edges of the outer member, said outer and inner members forming a pocket member including an entrance and an exit end, at least one of said outer and inner members being made of a material which curls around itself to form a roll in normal position, a pair of clamping lips mounted at the entrance to the pocket member, said clamping lips being spring urged to normally closed-lip position and being adapted to snap around the base of a lock of hair to grasp and hold it, whereby an extractor may be inserted into said pocket member to open it and said clamping lips, and the extractor may book a lock of hair and pull it into said pocket member so that said clamping lips snap around the base of the lock of hair and the remainder of the lock is positioned in said pocket member, and whereby, when said extractor is pulled free of the pocket member, the pocket member is released and automatically curls into its normal position to thereby curl the lock of hair.

3. The automatic hair curler defined in claim 2, wherein an extractor is provided which is longer than said pocket member and which has a hook at one end.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,884,305 10/1932 Shelton 13236.2 X 2,092,578 9/1937 Interrante 132-43 2,161,478 v6/1939 Locke 132-43 2,166,386 7/1939 Auster 132-43 2,654,372 10/1953 Stoyanolf 132-38 2,655,924 10/1953 Petitta 132-9 3,078,855 2/1963 Lovret 13243 3,109,438 11/1963 Work 13243 X RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HAIR CURLER COMPRISING AN OUTER MEMBER MADE OF PERFORATED CLEAR PLASTIC WHICH CURLS AROUND ITSELF TO FORM A ROLL IN NORMAL POSITION, AN INNER LINER MADE OF PERFORATED CLEAR PLASTIC AND JOINED TO THE SIDE EDGES OF THE OUTER MEMBER TO FORM A POCKET MEMBER, A PAIR OF CLAMPING LIPS MOUNTED AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE POCKET MEMBER AND BEING SPRING URGED TO NORMALLY CLOSED-LIP POSITION AND WHEN OPEN BEING ADAPTED TO SNAP TOGETHER TO GRASP AND HOLD THE BASE OF A LOCK OF HAIR, AND AN ELONGATED EXTRACTOR WHICH IS LONGER THAN SAID POCKET MEMBER AND HAS A HOOK AT ONE END, WHEREBY THE EXTRACTOR IS INSERTED INTO THE POCKET MEMBER SO THAT ITS HOOK EXTENDS THEREFROM TO HOOK A LOCK OF HAIR AND PULL IT INTO SAID POCKET MEMBER SO THAT SAID CLAMPING LIPS GRASP THE BASE OF THE LOCK OF HAIR, SAID EXTRACTOR PULLS SAID LOCK OF HAIR THROUGH THE POCKET MEMBER TO POSITION IT THEREALONG, AND SAID EXTRACTOR IS PULLED FREE OF THE POCKET MEMBER WHEREUPON THE POCKET MEMBER AUTOMATICALLY CURLS INTO ITS NORMAL ROLL POSITION TO IMPART A CURL TO THE LOCK OF HAIR. 